Sydney comedian Michele Lim hustles her way into local comedy scene

It’s late in the afternoon when my phone beeps telling me the Mayor of Easy Street has sent a text. This is good news as it’s rare that a politician of the most relaxed town on earth will text a journalist wanting to meet up for an interview.

Although it should be pointed out that Easy Street is less of an actual place and more of a mind set that Sydney comedian Michele Lim, a.k.a. Mayor of Easy Street, wants audiences to adopt.

“People take life really seriously and put a lot of pressure into getting all this stuff they don’t need. If you have less stuff then I think you’ll be happier,” Lim says over a coffee.

Words like these are more accustomed to come out of the mouth of a guru or appear on flyers being handed out in Newtown. But for Lim, it’s this combination of life advice and comedy that sets her apart from other budding Sydney comics.

“I really hate when people think that spending money is the only way to be happy or feel good about themselves.”

But it’s not just this one carefree aspect that makes Lim the performer she is.

There’s also the love of hip-hop music that spills into her sets. Starting with her love of the 90s sitcom "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air," the mix of comedy and rap music had begun its influence on the type of person and performer Lim would turn out to be.

Finding a refined audience has turned out to be a tricky maneuver for the comedian but perseverance is key.

“You can’t expect to appeal to everybody. I just want to find my crowd that really gets me and try focus on them.”

Lim is preparing for her upcoming show titled "Hustle Bear: A True Story." The name of the tour was born out of two things. One being Lim’s obsession with bears as a child and the hustle element coming from the idea that confidence and independence are important life skills to have.

“Sometimes when I’d do gigs I’d always have to have a friend with me. But now I don’t need anyone to come with me. I can just do my set by myself. I’m a big girl now.”

In the local comedy scene, Lim has learnt that carving out your own lane is a tough but necessary job to do in order to make it, especially when trying to make it as a comedian.

“It’s hard to get stage time if you don’t really know people.”

What Lim is referring to is the it’s not what you know but who you know challenges that come up when making a name for yourself in Sydney’s comedy scene.

But Lim hasn’t let a few rejection emails from those who run bigger rooms stop her from getting her material out into the world.

The trick for her is to do as many open mic nights as she can and find that audience she’s been looking for.

“That’s what the name [Hustle Bear] is about. It’s about backing yourself.”

The former UTS student may work in digital marketing now, but there are bigger fish to fry for this business graduate who has her eyes set on a larger stage.

“The reason why I got into comedy isn’t to do stand up for the rest of my life.”

Lim’s life goals involve less stand up and more sitting down on a couch in front of a national audience.

“I’d love to have my own TV show like Rove or Ellen… or Oprah!”

As she begins to spin more fine silk wisdom about how fame isn’t everything, she cuts herself off and her inner Kanye, as well as the truth, comes out.

“That’s not true, I still want to be famous. I still want everyone to know me.”

Michele Lim will be performing the "Hustle Bear: A True Story" tour at the Enmore Laneway from May 10 to 14 as part of the Sydney Comedy Festival.